‘Pass It Around’ Raises Money for the Philippines This Thursday

The Recent Typhoon in the Philippines has shocked the world with a death toll climbing close to 4,000 people, and tens of thousands injured. People all over the globe have responded with support, with a lot of people contributing however much money they can to the victims.

At San Jose’s Blackbird Tavern, local promoter Danny Le has organized a benefit, featuring live music, spoken word and DJs. Tickets are $10 and all money raised from ticket sales will be donated to the National Alliance for Filipino Concerns (nafconusa.org) for typhoon relief efforts.

“I have always been connected to the Filipino people through my upbringing here in the Bay Area, so when I saw the destruction the earthquakes and typhoons caused in much of the Philippines I was compelled to help out the home country of my friends,” Le says. “I hope during this process and after the show we come closer together as a community and not only react to the problems overseas, but also the ones here at home in the States.”

The three spoken-word artists come from the Bay Area Asian/Pacific Islander poetry collective, the ReWrite. These artists include Jason Bayani (who is also a member of the Filipino poetry collective, Proletariat Bronze), Lorenz and Kristen Sajonas.

Bay Area acoustic duo Astralogik, formerly known as CHARITOxFUNKCH3N, will also perform, along with jazz vocalist and San Jose native Amy Dabalos. Between sets, DJ Sig-O from local DJ crew Affinity will be spinning records.

Co-hosting with Le is Ruby Veridiano, a writer and public speaker who works to educate women of color on advocacy and self-empowerment.